


Unfinished Business

by Blueleaf12



Series: Pathologic 2 Anthology [1]
Category: technically pathologic 2, Мор. Утопия | Pathologic
Genre: Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Marble Nest (Pathologic) Spoilers, Swearing, aspity has like three lines and she's hard to wriiiiite, sticky can have another kinda father figure... as a treat, wow im actually humanizing daniil? who would have thought
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:42:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25679806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blueleaf12/pseuds/Blueleaf12
Summary: His instincts told him to face Death head on, but something in the back of his mind pulled him away. Daniil Dankovsky still had more to do before facing the boogeyman in the closet, starting with the teenager he woke up to that morning.
Relationships: Artemiy Burakh | Artemy Burakh & Spichka | Sticky, Daniel Dankovskiy | Daniil Dankovsky & Spichka | Sticky
Series: Pathologic 2 Anthology [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862134
Kudos: 15





	Unfinished Business

**Author's Note:**

> See, I told you guys I'm not dead!
> 
> I am very sorry to those that follow me that have followed me for my other content, but we're all aboard the pain train right now. I'm not done with Don't Starve just yet, but it's been more on the back burner since I started playing Pathologic 2. Maybe I'll get back to BOTW and Good Omens and stuff.... maybe. 
> 
> Anyway, I played Pathologic 2 and had a shit time. Would recommend. 10/10. The whiplash from playing Pathologic 2 to the new Paper Mario game is... staggering, to say the least. 
> 
> I have three other fics right now at varying stages of completion for Pathologic 2. I'm planning on making a small anthology when those get posted. Stay tuned!

Daniil hesitated at the closed door before him. He felt Aspity’s uneven eyes burn holes into his back as his gloved hand hovered an inch above the brass knob. He had no idea how long he stood like that; while things moved around him, time was stubborn, thick like mud, and refused to cooperate.

He was stuck.

With a sigh, Daniil lowered his arm to his side. His boots squeaked on the floorboards as he turned on his heel and shouldered past Aspity.

“And here I thought you were facing yourself, finally.” She mused, her voice sounding far away.

Daniil scowled, his hands balled into fists at his side. “Not a word, Aspity. I need to think before stepping in there.”

“He will grow bored, you know.” She droned on, turning to face the window again. “You will face it soon enough.”

Ignoring her, Daniil closed the door behind him with a faint sigh of relief. However, that relief was short lived as the stench from the Wonder Bull washed over him, nearly knocking himself off his feet.

As he collected and dusted himself off, a freckled face looked up at him from where it huddled on an old chair. “...what’re you doing here? I thought—”

Sticky.  _ Shit.  _ He forgot about him, just for a moment. Conflicting thoughts churned within him. “I need time to think a little more.” Daniil finally said. “Come out with me away from this thing if you have more to tell me, if you don’t mind.”

Sticky casted an unsure glance at the Bull, then to Daniil. With a sigh, he got up from the chair and followed Daniil back out into the hallway.

Sticky crossed his arms. “You seem distracted. You’re  _ never  _ distracted.”

Daniil looked like he was about to say something, then sighed. “Okay, okay, you got me. I’ve… been thinking about a lot of things. And not… just about Death around the corner. Other things. Stuff I haven’t thought too hard about but now are overwhelming. If you would be so kind to let me speak.”

Sticky contemplated this for a bit then dropped his arms. “Sure. I guess I’ll hear you out.”

Daniil looked around the hallway; it was empty, with the rest of its inhabitants scattered and hidden on the first floor. 

“I wanted… to thank you.” Daniil began. His words felt heavy on his tongue as slight embarrassment overcame him. When was the last time he thanked someone? Let alone a 13 year old? He couldn’t remember. “While I don’t… know how much I believe in this time loop business—it’s absurd, really, let alone  _ impossible _ , but I suppose anything is possible in this godforsaken town—but… you’ve been a great help to me.”

It took Sticky a few seconds to fully understand Daniil. He pulled a face. “I take that back, I prefer you to your stuck up self. Don’t get sappy on me.”

That got a small chuckle out of Daniil. It felt foreign to him. “Now you’re just sounding like Burakh. I’m being serious, here.”

Sticky’s scrunched up expression softened, then turned sour. He looked down at the floor, his expression distant and hurting. “I feel like I’m the only one really left that… remembers him. Besides you n’ Murky. Everyone else is either gone, dead, or… never liked him in the first place.”

Doubt and guilt gnawed at Daniil, even more than the sand pest raging outside, plague breaths scouting out any hapless victim. He grew serious. “I… did want to talk to you about him, if that’s alright.”

Sticky shrugged.

“I… also wanted to apologize.” Daniil’s mouth was dry. “To you, but mostly… to him. Artemy. Your teacher.” 

That got Sticky’s attention. He looked up at Daniil under his fringe of hair, but said nothing.

“I know he was your teacher, and was his father before that. Regardless of his arrival to this town… I never wished for anything ill to become of him. Sure, we never saw eye to eye on much, but… I never wished him  _ dead _ . Ever. But when I heard he… did die… I felt as if the town and the world lost a great surgeon, the kin their leader…” A pause. “And a father, too.”

Sticky still said nothing.

“I found some of his work, before he passed. A panacea, but just one vial.” He was digging a metaphorical knife into his gut. “I was  _ so close _ but never found out how he made it. And now all this work was for naught.”

Dread filled him. “I’m sorry.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me, or even  _ like  _ me after this I was so close but ruined his work—”

Sticky’s face scrunched up yet again. Instead of firing back with an indifferent quip, Sticky let out one single sob, tears streaming down his face. He ran full force into Daniil’s legs and torso, pressing his face into the soft fabric of his vest. His shoulders shook in tandem with his muffled sobs.

Daniil almost pulled away from Sticky, but forced himself to comfort the child in his arms. He squatted down some, pulling Sticky close. “You’re… you’re going to be okay. I promise.” He said. 

He knew it was empty hope.

“I miss him.” Sticky gasped out, voice muffled by Daniil’s neck. “I-I found him, you know. A-at the L-Lair. Looked b-beat up and bloody, slumped over his A-Alembic. I d-don’t know w-what or w-who hurt him. H-h-he—” Sticky’s voice gave out again as sobs overtook his body.

He patted Sticky’s back as he caught his breath again.

“H-he… he m-made the panacea. J-just enough for one person… but he didn’t make it.” Sticky shook in his arms. “I-I’m not… fully sure w-where or h-how he got it, but… I think it was from the A-Abattoir.”

_ The Abattoir?  _ That piqued Daniil’s interest, but now… it was too late for that. “It ended up at the chemist’s place.” His voice was level, but anger threatened to seep underneath it like blood. “I… why didn’t you grab the panacea? How did you even get over here in the first place when I came to?”

“I was  _ scared _ . I’m a coward. I-I… I saw what happened, and… I p-panicked. Ran away.” Finally, Sticky peeled his red and puffy face from Daniil’s shoulder. “T-the only other person I could think of going to… w-was you.”

Another twinge.  _ Jesus, this is too much emotion _ . “I suppose it eventually got out about Burakh’s death…” Daniil mused. “I bet the Chemist couldn’t wait to raid everything he could.” 

Sticky pressed his face back in Daniil’s shoulder again.

“Is that all you have to tell me?”

“Mhm.”

“Alright.”

They remained like that for what seemed like forever and no time at all. Daniil’s legs screamed in protest, but eventually numbed out. 

Finally, Daniil felt some sort of peace.

Once Sticky calmed down enough, Daniil finally let him go. He backed away from Daniil as he stood up slowly, wincing as his legs popped. His thighs trembled from the exertion.

Sticky stared up at Daniil, sniffing and hugging his lanky frame. Even his hair was damp, his bangs clinging to his eyes. “Are… you going now?”

Daniil glanced back at the closed door behind him. He still felt Aspity’s stare through the door, and the even more distant glare of the Executor hulking over him.

“Seems so.” 

“Are you… scared?”

Daniil thought about it, then shook his head. “I think I understand, now.”

“You do?”

“I suppose there’s one way to find out.”

Sticky didn’t reply.

Daniil placed his gloved hand on Sticky’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Take care of yourself. Look after yourself and the other kids. Especially Murky. That’s what Burakh would want, I think.”

Sticky managed a nod, his damp cheeks glistening in the light.

"I’ll tell him you said hi, and that… you miss him. Would you like that?”

Another nod.

With that, Daniil dropped his hand, ready to finally face Death in the Marble Nest. 

**Author's Note:**

> I have a story to tell with this game. Buckle up for spoilers. 
> 
> It's day nine, and I'm stuck at the Abattoir. I died maybe ten times (I played on the easiest difficulty-- I know, I know, you're supposed to play it on absolute hell, but I was scared of the game) before eventually getting to the end of the Abattoir. I also can't tell you how many times I've tried and save scummed to prevent dying. Anyway, I talked to the heart, and leapt into the pit. It wasn't really a leap, per se; I more walked off the edge rather than jumped. I must have hit the side of the pit on the way down, because as Artemy went through the loading zone, I died INSTANTLY as it faded from black to the new location in the bowels of the town. Me, confused and not knowing what the hell was going on, stared blankly at the next loading screen as Mark appeared and I accepted my punishment. 
> 
> I spawned back to my previous save at the beginning of the Abattoir, panic texting my friend who already beat it by then what the hell was going on. I tried another attempt out of frustration, but died to the first worm inside. 
> 
> In my absolute anger and rage and frustration, I screamed out in agony and raked my hands down my face. I'm glad I don't have very long nails, because I still managed to cut myself in the process. The wound is mostly healed, but this game has a body count.


End file.
